FOTD: Quikie Looks using NARS Duo Eyeshadows

I'm on an FOTD roll! Anyway here are two looks (that's right TWO) that I did over the weekend and actually wore out. I don't think I can walk with red lipstick just yet. It's still a bit overwhelming for my face still, or maybe I just need a better red lipstick that goes well with my skintone.


First up, NARS Balthazar...






I finished the look with a brown liner instead of a black one for a more natural approach.


For my cheeks, I used MAC Nuance blush. Anyway, I love, love NARS e/s. Super easy to blend!





It can't get anymore natural looking than that. I look like I have that California sun-kissed looked without baking under the sun. Chea!

Up next, is NARS Bohemian Gold. I honestly don't know why it's called Bohemian Gold when the picture doesn't even remotely look gold to me. But this one is a bit odd cuz it photographs looking like a brown shade, when it looks a bit peachy pink in the pan.



This was the look that I did on Friday for my bf's graduation. I tried to keep it as simple as possible.

I don't know why it looks like I packed some mad blush on when it hardly showed up in person.

Swatches: MAC Adoring Carmine (Holiday 2008 Pt. 2)

Nordstrom is selling the brushes for $35 only ($15 off regular price, $49.50) both online and in stores. So if you're really eyeing on one of those sets, I hope you have Nordies near you and take advantage of that deal.

I initially wanted to get the basic brush set, but after seeing the display, I decided not to get it instead. The blush brush the basic set comes with seems a bit scratchy when I ran it against my skin. But everything else in the basic brush set was pretty awesome. I love the eyeshadow brushes, and the fact that it comes with a makeup bag and a satchel which makes the set great for traveling.

As far as the lip sets, they did pretty well with it. I can see the Rose and Red lips selling out because of the gorgeous pigmentation of these lipsticks.

Release Date: October 23, 2008

Click on the images to enlarge...


LIPSTICK SETS - $34.50USD

Adoring Carmine: 3 Neutral Lips (LE) - $34.50USDSoft Spot (Lipstick) (Glaze)
Real Treasure (Lipstick) (Lustre)
My Dear (Lipglass)


Adoring Carmine: 3 Rose Lips (LE)
To Swoon For (Lipstick)(Glaze)
Romancin' (Lipstick) (Lustre)
Delicate Crush (Lipglass)


Adoring Carmine: 3 Red Lips (LE)
Adore It (Lipstick) (Glaze)
Racy (Lipstick) (Frost)
Frostlight (Lipglass)
BRUSH SETS

Adoring Carmine:5 Basic Brushes (LE) - $49.50USD (23 Oct: Nordies is showing this set as $35.00 on their website)
#129SE
#219SE
#239SE
#266SE
#316SE
Adoring Carmine: 4 Face Brushes (LE) - $49.50USD (23 Oct: Nordies is showing this set as $35.00 on their website)
#168SE
#187SE
#190SE
#194SE
Adoring Carmine: 5 Eye Brushes (LE) - $49.50USD
#209SE
#212SE
#217SE
#252SE
#275SE
(Colour Story and Product Info Source: Specktra.net)

Swatches: MAC Passions of Red Collection (Holiday 2008 Pt. 1)

I honestly didn't pick up a single thing from this collection...at least not yet. I pretty much just went to Nordies to swatch these before I went home. They looked a bit ordinary to me at the time I was there, and the colors looked like something I would already have. However, the more I look at the swatches, and think about it, I think I might have to pick up a couple of the eye shadow palettes. The warm eyes palette is calling me! They look so pretty. And how pretty is the blue in the Classic Eyes palette? I'm not one who can rock blue eyeshadow, but that blue is just gorgeous. I don't know if I feel the same about the rest of the eyes shadow in that palette though.

Maybe it's this phase that I'm just having with palettes? But really how pretty is the warm eyes one? It's pretty universal if you ask me.

Release Date: October 23, 2008

Click on the images to enlarge...

EYE SHADOW PALETTES - $38 USD

Fascinating Ruby: 6 Smokey Eyes
Scant - Creamy white with pink pearl (Frost)
Satin Taupe - Taupe brown with silvery bronze shimmer (Frost) (Permanent)
Dark Devotion - Black brown (Matte)
Gorgeous - Light silver with white pearl (Matte)
Ambiance - Cool mid-tone grey with silver sparkle (Velvet}
Carbon - Intense black (Matte) (Permanent)


Intriguing Scarlet: 6 Warm Eyes
Warm Suede - Frosty antiqued golden olive (Veluxe Pearl)
Grand Entrance - Dirty deep green with green pearl (Satin)
Real Drama - Dirty burgundy with red pearl (Satin)
Gentle Heat - Light muted grey taupe (Satin)
Well Spiced - Frosted warm peachy brown (Satin)
Sweet Joy - Frosted creamy pale gold (Frost)


Devoted Poppy: 6 Classic Eyes
Young Thing - Light creamy peach (Satin)
In Awe - Intense black with gold pearl (Velvet)
Fall Deeply - Frosty bright blue with white pearl (Frost)
Amourously - Frosty antique gold (Frost)
Sweet Eyes - Shimmery muted golden beige (Satin)
Awaken - Frosty light green with golden pearl (Frost)


Infatuating Rose: 6 Cool Eyes
Platonic - Frosty greyed perwinkle (Frost)
Cavort - Cool dirty lavender orchid (Satin)
Satisfy - Slightly shimmery pale ballet pink (Lustre)
Bon Fete - Frosty neutral mid-tone pink (Veluxe Pearl)
Deep Feelings - Dirty deep violet indigo (Matte)
Feast - Frosty pink plum (Velvet)

LIP PALETTES -$22.50 USD

Fascinating Ruby: 3 Plum Lips
Marvel (Lipstick) - Sheer pink plum with subtle pearl,
Insinuate (Lipstick) - Sheer purple plum with gold pearl
Mutual Attraction (Lipsglass) - Glossy mid-tone plum with multi-dimensional pearl


Devoted Poppy: 3 Coral Lips
Devoted (Lipstick) - Sheer mid-tone coral with subtle pearl
Soft Talk (Lipstick) - Sheer bright reddish-coral with pearl
Transparent Love (Lipglass) - Glossy apricot with golden red pearl


Intriguing Scarlet: 3 Cool Pink Lips
Make Me Melt (Lipstick) - Frosty muted mid-tone pink,
Overjoyed (Lipstick) - Sheer yellow pink with pearl
Sheer Vision (Lipglass) - Glossy soft baby pink with multi-dimensional pearl


(Colour Story Credit: Spektra.net)

Feelings on the new MAC Holiday collection? Do you think they did better this year compared to last year's Antiquitease collection? Who picked something out?

Chanel Beiges de Chanel Dupe?!?

As you may recall, I recently picked up and drooled over my Chanel quad 13 Beiges de Chanel in my previous post. I mean, a Chanel is a Chanel. It's pretty much the description of luxury and timeless classic.

So, the other day, I was cleaning out my stash of makeup that I've hoarded for some span of time. Trying to sort out which one I still use or items that I can probably sell. And then I came across the palette that Vanessa had given me at the Pow Wow, and it looks oddly familiar. Why didn't I realize this before?? Could this be a dupe of my Chanel quad?!?

Here's a recap of my lovely Chanel quad in all its glory. The FOTD seen below was taken from this post.

Chanel 13 Beiges de Chanel quad $54



It's neutral at it's best. It's a pretty good combo for that neutral look without looking boring and drab beside it being a Chanel quad.

But why not get the same (if not similar) look for mere pennies (well, almost compared to what you spend on a Chanel quad). I had it all along. I had this quad way before I even got the Chanel ones. Why I didn't realize they're almost similar? Because I couldn't get the dupe palette to open up for awhile, so I never really touched it until I had it side by side.

Tropez Sunrise to Sunset Palette in Olive Oasis $3.99

Ok, that's a whopping $50 big difference between the two palettes. With the Tropez palette, you even get two extra eyeshadows. By just looking at the palette, you can already clearly tell that the colors are similar to each other.

If that's not enough, here are some swatches comparing them side by side (or top and bottom, hehe).

Top: Chanel 13 Beiges de Chanel quad
Bottom: Tropez Sunset to Sunrise Olive Oasis quad

Both swatches are applied WITHOUT a base.

How striking is the resemblance? The quad only probably slightly differ with the last two shades on the right. The cream color for the Chanel quad has a matte finish while the Tropez one has a pearly or frosty finish, but are still both meant to be as a highlight color under the browbone. The golden shade for the Tropez looks looks a bit more chalky, but pretty much has the same color compared to the Chanel quad after you apply it on your eyes.

If you're still not convinced, I tried to replicate the look that I did with the Chanel quad using the Tropez Olive Oasis palette. You can almost see that the looks are very much alike, and all you really need is a good base.

(For the darker color, I ended up applying it to my crease and outer V instead of just the crease, hence why it looks darker on the outer corners. I also lined my upper lashline with a brown gel liner. And sorry for the ugly brows lol).

And yes, I really did use the Tropez palette to recreate the look.




Chanel v. Tropez
Blendability: For some reason, I found that the Tropez eyeshadow blends better than the Chanel one. Shocking, I know!

Price: Obviously, Tropez won this hands down. $54 vs. $3.99 at your local drugstore (and you get two extra eyeshadows).

Quality: Chanel has better pigmentation on the gold eyeshadow, but Tropez has a better pigmentation on the highlight color. You might be able to get away without using a base with Chanel and still have your eyeshadow look fabulous, where as the Tropez palette, you will really need a good base to prevent the colors from fading.

Extras: The Chanel quad is housed in a velvet sleeve to protect the compact and you have the Chanel logo screaming on top when you do decide to take it out of your purse. It's up to you if $50 extra is justifiable for those perks.


Verdict: In the end, I ended up bringing back my Chanels to Nordies and exchanged it for something else *ahem* NARS *ahem*. I have no reason of keeping it even though it's Chanel. I just really hate keeping duplications and makeup that I already own. For those who have been oogling at the new Chanel quad, you might want to consider the Tropez palette for a cheaper price. When you think about it... the Tropez palette is a lot easier to stash in your purse because you can just throw it in there and not worry about your quad getting scratch or your sleeve getting dirty. I mean the Tropez is not as pretty or as luxurious as the Chanel quad, but it does the job. Besides, $50 is a hugggeee chunk of change.


So who do you think copied who first? :]

Chanel Eye Shadow Quad 13 Beiges De Chanel (Swatches and Makeup Look)

Ohhhhhhhh Chanel. How luxurious and pretty you are!!

As I slowly branch out from MAC to other high end brands, I've decided to pick out the new Chanel quad from their holiday collection. I was in the look out for a good neutral eyeshadow quad, and as I was perusing the Nordstrom counters this seem to jump out to me. Swatching time, and the colors was just so pretty that it had left me that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.

How It All Began with Makeup...

I was looking back at my previous posts (like really really old posts from last year), and I couldn't help but giggle inside.

A year ago, I didn't know how to apply makeup for the life of me. I was pretty much your eyeliner and mascara kind of gal. Who knew that there was such thing as an eye primer and that a good set of brushes makes all the difference in the world? And who knew that I'll meet the most fabulous people online who shares the same interests as I do?

I started this blog almost a year ago (December 2007) after I've picked up this (expensive) hobby called makeup. Like most of us, I was inspired by OG beauty gurus such as Stephie and Vanessa to make my own blog to track my own makeup progress. I was lucky enough to know Vanessa personally (I actually met Vanessa first through mutual friends, and then I saw her blog), because she seriously makes it a whole lot better (trips to Sephora, swatching new MAC colllections, going to beauty conventions, etc) and she has inspired me not only with makeup but in life.

Anyway, I just looked at the first makeup post by going through my archives. I'm actually a bit embarrassed posting this.

There are so many things wrong with these pictures. OMG, I still can't stop laughing looking at it.

1. I almost have non-existing brows. I didn't realize they were so thin back then!

2. I used five different eye shadows with this look. I only see two.

3. What is up with my eyeliner??? LOL! You can clearly tell it's not the neatest line at all.

4. Blurry pictures! I didn't know how to work with my camera and what that 'flower' (macro) was for.

5. My eye shadows are just sloppy. Period. You can tell by the first picture where my outer V is suppose to be that it's just a brown blob that almost looks like dirt? LOL.

I can keep going on critiquing my own makeup application, and I'm sure you guys can point out way more than I can. But it's just really nice to look back and see my progress. I'm still working on my craft, but I'm sure ya'll can agree I've come a long way from where I started. I'm not claiming that I'm a beauty buff, guru, or whatever, but it's really all about practice and trying out new things. If I can do it, I'm sure everyone else can. Now is probably the time to experiment on colors you wouldn't think of pairing together while you're still young and your age still allows it without looking like a clown, I guess.

Here are some of the looks I've done in the past that I didn't really expect to work out but ended up being some of my favorite eye combinations!

Using NYX Copper (Pow Wow Look)

Using NARS Mediteranee duo

Using MAC Gulf Stream

I admit that sometimes my makeup can still look sloppy at times, or the color just makes me look drag or just doesn't work with me. I've had many of those moments where my mom just asks me 'wtf are you wearing on your eyes?', but I've also had people compliment my eye makeup (even better when it's by strangers) when I least expect it. But that's just the beauty of trial and error. Just experiment, practice, and have fun. It's just makeup... you can always take it off and start all over again (just make sure you're not running late hehe).

****************************************

So I pretty much fell asleep right when I got home. This whole driving far business to get home is not so fun. I didn't even really get to upload my pictures since I just knocked out. I still have my makeover and my powder compact to share. LOL.

But tonight, the bf is taking me out for dinner. Not sure where, but I can't wait. Our anniversary celebration is two days way over due. I still don't know what to get him. Any suggestions?

Update: Moved in!

This weekend has been super exhausting. We finally moved to our new house. In the midst of all the chaos, I managed to stop by Nordstrom early in the morning (which I woke up late for by the way), to check out the Fall Trend show that they had. They are really pushing consumers to buy with all the gift with purchases that they had going on in every counter. I had to resist. I came there to only buy one thing, and one thing only... a compact powder. LOL.

Since I really didn't have time over the weekend to take pictures, I will reveal the compact powder that I ended up with later on today (when I get home to take pictures lol). Thank you to all the people who gave their inputs. Very much appreciated. But anyway, I just managed to walk away with one product (*pats shoulder on the back*). I had to keep reminding myself the amount of makeup waiting at home that I had to pack in TWO boxes cuz one box wasn't enough. So I'm just glad I was pretty successful with that even though I got my makeup done at the _________ counter, and the MUA was just tempting to buy all these things that he used on me. But it was nice that he wasn't one of those pushy MUA, but he did a pretty awesome job with my makeup. I wasn't even going anywhere that day since we were just moving but I had whole face makeup done LOL. I know right? Getting a makeover on the day of the move. Well I had all my things packed already prior to the moving day, so everything was all set and ready to get hauled out. And I already had packed my valuables in my car (yes, I hauled them with me to the show! lol)

Anyway, I'm still pretty exhausted from all the moving we had to do. Luckily, I have a boyfriend who was willing to help us out (well he better! it's pretty much one of the requirements lol jk). But yea, it was nice to have an extra hand around. Made things a bit easier. And, he pretty much assembled my bed for me! I wouldn't have done it myself cuz the bed itself (not the mattress) is soo heavy. I could barely carry the foot board. Oh, and helped me moved around and arranged my furniture (and we ended up doing it twice cuz I'm so fickle). So my things are pretty much settled in. I just need to put away some of the other knick-knacks and makeup I have laying around.

I might say I'm actually quite liking the new place. Although it's a bit far from everything else (18 more miles to hit the Valley), it's actually not that bad. I finally no longer sleep in a 'closet' because my room is four times bigger than my old one (my room was really small, it can seriously be a walk-in closet LOL). So my mom gave me her vanity to use (I don't have to sit on the floor to do my makeup lol), took my brother's TV (hey he's not even home), and have a desk and my queen bed fit and still have ample room inside. And my closet!! Three times bigger than my old one! I have enough room to hang my clothes, and fit more!!! Even though I hated the idea of moving, I'm actually liking how I have a bigger space. I have a separate bathroom to use where I can stash my stuff. And just the fact I have my own vanity!!!!! Oh, and a window that opens LOL (don't ask why my old window doesn't open). Now I have to shop for storage items to neatly store my belongings. I also told myself to be less of a pack-rat and throw away what I don't need or use. But yea, I'll take a picture of my new room once things get cleaned and sorted out. I'm just so excited cuz I can finally have people over in my room and not worry about being so crowded inside. We can have a makeup party (only for those who are willing to drive to the boonies!). And I can finally post outfits of the day when I'm not running late for work (HEHE) Oh, and I'm practically neighbors with Jennifer (aka VietnameseQT). Pretty exciting!! Oh, I might pick up cooking too now that our kitchen is way bigger. Just no more cramped space in general.

Maybe this whole move might be good for me. I'll be more likely to become a homebody since everything is so far, meaning less shopping, but then there's always online shopping haha. Although I still live two blocks down from the mall, and work about less than a mile from the bigger mall in the valley. I'm just happy I finally have a bigger space, and a view of our neighbor and the balding mountain. hahaha. I'm still going to be in the valley everyday since I do work here. It'll just take me longer to hit up Glendale, Pasadena, and LA. I guess I'll get use to the drive sooner or later, and it probably won't be too bad since my car isn't really a gas guzzler.

But yea, sorry for the pictureless post. But if you've read through all of this and left a comment, big thanks for caring LOL. Regular posting will resume by tonight, if not tomorrow morning with pictures! I have an FOTD coming up using Fuz's palette, and my recent makeover along with the compact powder I ended up with.

Oh, and today is my one year anniversary with the bf! Pretty big considering this is the longest I've been with someone (yea, it's short for most of you guys!). He's taking me out on Wednesday cuz the place is closed today, so we'll just watch a movie tonight in the meantime. I'm just happy we made it this far with all the things that has happened between us. I haven't really had time to shop for his gift because it's been crazy lately. Anyway, I will end it here. This rambling is getting too long. I can't believe I just typed all of that. Pictures later!

Laneige Strawberry Yogurt Peeling Gel (Review)

This has been sitting as a draft on my blog. I intended to the review before I had announce the winner, but I never got around to it.

As you may already know, Pink was the one who first introduced me to this product at the Pow Wow. I thought the concept was pretty neat and wanted to try it out. She already did her version of her review about this product on her blog, but here is my two cents on it.




Ingredients:

What it is:

Directions:

Price: $21
Available at: Amore stores

Laneige Strawberry Yogurt Peeling Gel RatingQuality:

5 out 5
Packaging: 5 out of 5
Effectiveness: 5 out of 5

Overall: 5 out of 5
What I like about it: This peel is super gentle on your skin. With the first use, I can already feel the softness of my skin after I massaged all the gunk out. The smell is really pleasant and delicious because it really does smell like strawberries! Although it might be tempting to eat it, please don't because it's not edible. The peel also actually has beads that look like strawberry seeds (I'm sure they're not real strawberries though) that gently exfoliate your skin as well.


Just gently massage this on your skin for a minute, and you'll feel and see the dead skin that you're trying to get rid off. You'll see a white buildup as you massage it. After you've massaged it for a minute, wash it off and you'll definitely feel the results. It's pretty much like a magic eraser, but for your skin. Your face will feel a lot smoother after using this. I also noticed that whenever I do use this (remember to only use it once or twice a week, not everyday), that my moisturizer just glides on my skin and it applies better and sinks in faster. After a few more uses, I also noticed that my face which was once a dull skin has brighten up and glowed, and it's a bit more even than before.

This is such a treat for my skin. Really good for a quick pick-me-ups and when you feel your skin is looking dull and blah. I didn't experience any stinging, burning, itching, or any adverse effects with this peel. It's also gentle enough for me to use during the time of the month when I get a couple of pimples here and there. And the price I think is pretty reasonable (even thought $21 is probably jacked up already), and the bottle will last you quite awhile.

What I don't like about it: It can get pretty messy since the build-up usually just falls off your face. I usually do this by the sink. This peel is not readily available anywhere, and so far I've only seen Amore stores carry this line. Other than that, I can't really think of anything bad about it.

Would I buy this again? You bet I will. I just love how gentle it is. I was a bit scared in trying this in the beginning because whenever I think of peels in general, I think of stinging sensations and other not so pleasant thoughts about it, but this definitely changed my perception about it. This also has become a staple item on my skin regimen. I love the smell and how it makes my skin feel. This is definitely a product to try.

Tidbit: The date found on the product is NOT the expiration date. I was a bit worried about that before since the date on my tube was obviously dated way passed when I bought it. Someone had told me that this is actually the manufactured date of the product. I guess the dating methods in Asia (manufactured date) is different than the way they date things here in the States (expiration date).

Swatches and Product Review: Dior Deluxe Travel Palette

So the boyfriend and I decided to hit up the mall after work. We went to Glendale Galleria since they have Lush store open there already (can't wait til they open the one at Topanga!) to check out some of their stuff.

Anyway, I was looking for a replacement for the gift he got me for my birthday. He originally got me the Bobbi Brown Shimmering Nudes palette and the Harajuku perfume in Love which he bought and had nicely gift wrapped from Nordstrom, but I ended up returning both because: 1) whoever rung him up didn't give him the free gift with a $100 purchase (hey, free is free) and 2) because I realized that I wasn't really too fond of the Bobbi Brown palette because it looked too similar with what I already have (swatches will be up soon) after testing them out. Anyway, although I really love the Harajuku perfume, I had to return for the meantime so when I do find something to replace the palette with, I can get the free gift with purchase (yea yea I know).

So with a new item I just mentioned on my lemming list, I had to check out the Dior Deluxe Travel Palette. Luckily, the Nordies in Glendale Galleria already had them out with a tester ready for me to play with.

Sorry if the product pictures are a bit blurry. I took them with my iPhone. I wasn't about to bust out my camera in public.

Click on the image to enlarge...





So did I end up with this baby home???

No.

It wasn't exactly what I pictured it would be. It wasn't as glamorous as it seemed on the photo. Yes, it does have six eyeshadows, a sample of their Blackout mascara and Ultra gloss reflect with a blush and a sun powder (bronzer), but to me it just wasn't worth to shell out a fat $70 on it, well to me at least.

The eyeshadows are nothing I haven't seen or extraordinary. They're pretty much your basic OL colors that you can probably find in another for a lower price. I probably wouldn't use the purple and pink colors only because it's most likely not going to show up on my tanned skin and the color also seemed a bit too teeny-bopper-ish maybe because they're pastel colors. Also, the white and the pink shades are just too close of a shade to each other that once I lay it on my eyes, they'll end up looking the same (white).

However, I really like the sun powder and the blush that it came with. It just had a nice sheen to it that it'll make your face glow once you put it on. But still not worth $70 for two small blushes.

The lipgloss was a nice pink shade with reflects on it. It was a very pretty gloss, but probably something that I'm not really going to use only because I have enough pink gloss as it is. It wasn't really an "ooooh so pretty" color for me.

What really irked me the most out of this palette was the casing itself. I was looking at it for awhile and trying to think of what's wrong with it. It looked like a daily planner (fil-o-fax). The leather was just so cheaply made and even worse when you see the lining inside the palette. It's like one of those designer dud wallets (might as well be) that you can find at a swap meet (or maybe downtown L.A) with a Dior logo just slapped on top of it. It was sooo not deluxe, just bulky and ugly. My bf even pointed out that it looks a bit cheesy, and has too much of a Swiss Army knife feel to it (I don't know where he got that, but I do see what he's trying to say). The case just looks like an emergency or first aid kit that you take with you when you go camping.

As you can tell, I ended up talking myself out of buying $70 makeup palette. It ended up becoming passable to me once I saw it in person. I thought I was going to get this palette the price was just waaaaaaay too steep for the type of product you're paying for. But I still did get something in lieu of the failed Dior palette. But that's another post :).

Product Review and Swatches: Urban Decay Book of Shadows Palette

I finally got my hands on the Urban Decay Book of Shadows palette that I've been lemming (here). I. HAD. TO. GET. IT!!!!

For awhile Sephora.COM was out of stock of these, but one of the bloggers have mentioned that it's now available in stores. I wasn't too quick to react however, and just picked it up yesterday.

So I dropped by my Sephora to scout for this palette, and to my surprise that they didn't have it on display!!! So I asked one of the SA if by any chance they have it in back on stock. And she told me they did and that they haven't put it out yet because the older palettes are still out and there were no space to put it.

This sweet lady goes back to get me a fresh, brand new, never been opened palette for me to play with. My fingers were the first one to dip in it. It was amazinggggggg. So there I was swatching it up, and putting some on while I'm at it to test them out (scroll down for FOTD). Not even the other SA at Sephora knew this palette even existed. They were also surprised that it's only $45! It is pretty cheap for the amount you're actually getting.

I was afraid that I might have most of the colors, being it that the palette has 16 gawgus colors. From bright to something neutral, this palette is definitely one I'll be reaching for. I checked all my eyeshadows that might look similar to it and swatched it next to each other, and none of what I owned are dupes!

What I like about it: Urban Decay's eyeshadow pigmentation are friggin amazing! One swipe and you get an intense color payoff! This is by far my most favorite palette that Urban Decay has came out with. If you don't have an Urban Decay palette yet, this trumps them all and a definite must have. You have a good selection of colors in one palette (not to mention it has 16 colors!!!!) and the combinations are endless! It's the one palette that really, really, really stretches out your dollar. It makes an excellent gift too!

I also like how it's in a drawer-like casing. You pull the little drawer, and out comes your eyeshadows. Although the drawer is a bit of a challenge to pull, at least you know that you can easily throw this palette in your purse and not worry about it opening up unlike the other palettes that only has a magnetic-close-top. So you know that your eyeshadows are sitting pretty and safe inside the box.

Another good thing about it is that it comes with a mini primer potion tucked in a little hollow next to the eyeshadows. It really comes in handy for the people who are on the go or traveling because it's conveniently packed with the palette already.




The eyeshadows are almost as big as a quarter. The box says that the eyeshadows are 0.03 oz which makes it even better because MAC eyeshadows are not much more in content since they're 0.04 oz! So you are definitely not getting a dinky eyeshadow in the palette. It'll last you a long time since Urban Decay eyeshadows are pretty pigmented that there's really no need to slave away when swiping some color on. Also, there are less glittery eyeshadow (about 3 or 4 eyeshadows) in this palette unlike the Ammo palette. They're more of a metallic sheen finish which I likey.

What I don't like about it: This palette is pretty heavy (well heavier than normal), and is pretty large in size.



The palette itself is almost as wide as my MAC 227 brush, but it does have to accomodate the size of the eyeshadows you're getting. But stowing this away in your purse might add some weight to it.
The two brushes it came with just plain sucks! I'm not even going to use it. The handle are cheaply made with plastic and the brush heads... I just don't know. Although it's pretty soft and not scratchy, but it's still not the best in quality.
I'm not sure why Urban Decay added the unnecessary pop-up crap. Waste of paper and has no point and use. Although it's pretty decorative, it can look rather annoying and cheeeeesy. But it doesn't really affect the quality of the eyeshadows, so who cares right?
SWATCHES*Click on the images to enlarge*
Perversion (matte black); Last Call (plum punch); Grifter (sheer lavender with lots of silver microglitter); Mayhem (deep purple),

Baked (rich bronze); Smog (deep coppery bronze); Sidecar (bronze sparkle); Gridlock (medium brown)


Shakedown (shimmering taupe); Roach (deep brown with reddish sheen); Scandal (peachy-pink); Midnight Cowboy (golden beige with gold glitter)


Goddess (midnight blue with lots of electric blue microglitter); Shattered (bright green/blue shift); Absinthe (electric green); Protest (dark green)





And my FOTD...






What I Used (all Urban Decay unless stated otherwise)

EYESBaked e/s -- inner half of lid
Smog e/s -- crease and outer V
Sidecar e/s -- highlight
Protest e/s -- lower lashline
MAC Blacktrack fluidline -- upper lashline
Stila Major Lash mascara

CHEEKS
Paul & Joe 08 blush
Silk Naturals Halo mineral glow-- highlight

FACE
MUFE HD powder

LIPS
Paul & Joe 09 l/g

Yea, I know long-ass post :). Bwahahaha, I know gross eyebrows. So was this convincing enough for you to buy this palette? Omg, now I'm even more eager to play with makeup now.


Anyway, I finally renewed my license. Little did I know, I had to retake my picture. Blaaaaah, now I just wonder how my ID will look like.